DPHU1006 Screen Production 1
The Complete Study & Assessment Guide · T3 2026DPHU1006 Overview
- Term 3, 2026
- Delivered by UNSW College
- Level 1 (Diploma)
- 6 units of credit
- Weekly lecture and tutorial
Screen Production 1 (DPHU1006) is a Level 1 course in the Diploma of Media and Communication, delivered by UNSW College on behalf of UNSW Sydney and worth 6 units of credit. It assumes no prior knowledge.
- Assessed by Four quizzes, a proposal and pitch, a photo project and a group film with a reflection
- Hardest step Turning a story idea into a shot plan a small crew can actually film
- Planning habit Write the shot list and storyboard before anyone picks up a camera
- Deadline to remember The short film and poster are due at 4pm on Friday of Week 11
How DPHU1006 is assessed
| Component | Weight | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Assessment 1: Quiz · hurdle | 20% | Four in-class quizzes in the Week 3, 6, 9 and 12 tutorials, each 10 multiple-choice questions in 10 minutes and worth 5%; failure to complete two or more quizzes results in a UF grade |
| Assessment 2a: Story Proposal · hurdle | 15% | Individual, written in class without notes: logline and synopsis in Week 4 (40 minutes), story outline in Week 5 (2 hours); missing either submission results in a UF grade |
| Assessment 2b: Pitch · hurdle | 15% | Individual two-minute pitch with 2 to 4 slides in the Week 6 tutorial, delivered without notes; failure to complete it results in a UF grade |
| Assessment 3: Photo Project · hurdle | 10% | Group task in the Week 8 tutorial: a story told in eight photographs within 90 minutes; failure to complete it results in a UF grade |
| Assessment 4: Video Project · hurdle | 40% | Group short film of 4 to 5 minutes with a poster, due 4pm Friday of Week 11 (30%), and an individual two-minute reflection in the Week 12 tutorial (10%); failure to complete either part results in a UF result |
| Hurdle: Complete all Assessments · hurdle | 0% | Failure to submit all assessments as required results in an Unsatisfactory Fail |
Weights are from the Term 3, 2026 course outline and match the 2026 UNSW Handbook entry, which lists the Story Proposal and Pitch together as one 30% component. To pass, you need at least 50% overall, an attempt at every assessment and a genuine attempt at each one; otherwise the result is an Unsatisfactory Fail even at 50% or more. Attendance is a separate condition: the Moodle page expects at least 80% attendance at all classes, and students below 80% without special circumstances and evidence may fail the course.
What DPHU1006 covers
Ten chapters follow the Term 3 lecture sequence: story and the written proposal first, then the pitch and previsualisation, then crew, camera, framing and mise-en-scène, and finally editing and sound for the Video Project.
What Makes a Story: Structure, Cause and Character
Three-act structure, cause and effect, wants, obstacles and character arcs, timed for a 4 to 5 minute film (Week 1)The first lecture of Screen Production 1 asks what a story is, and the answer shapes every assessment that follows.
- Story as cause and effect rather than a sequence of events
- Setup, confrontation and resolution in a short film
- Inciting incident, turning point and climax as causal beats
- Protagonist, want, obstacle and arc in a few minutes of screen time
- Showing a character arc through action instead of dialogue
- Budgeting a 4 to 5 minute running time across three acts
Logline, Synopsis and Story Outline
Assessment 2a: a logline under 30 words, a two or three sentence synopsis and a present-tense story outline (Weeks 2, 4 and 5)Assessment 2a, the Story Proposal, is worth 15% and is written in your tutorial across two weeks: the logline and synopsis in 40 minutes in Week 4, and the full story outline in 2 hours in Week 5. It runs in a lockdown browser without notes, devices or translation programs, so everything you hand in must be rehearsed before you walk in.
- The three parts of the proposal and the two in-class sittings
- What the logline must contain, and why it stops before the ending
- Using the synopsis to widen the frame in two or three sentences
- Writing the outline in the present tense, scene by scene
- Feasibility for a crew of four or five students
- The two statements on proposal length and how to plan for them
The Two-Minute Pitch and Feasibility
Assessment 2b: what the pitch must show, the rules for its 2 to 4 slides, the three criteria and a timed script (Week 6)Assessment 2b is a two-minute individual pitch in the Week 6 tutorial, worth 15%. It must be consistent with the proposal you wrote in Weeks 4 and 5, and you are marked on how you deliver it as well as on the idea.
- The five things a pitch must demonstrate
- Consistency with the written proposal
- Arguing feasibility with locations, cast and props
- Slide rules: drawings, photographs and reference screengrabs
- Delivering without notes: eye contact, energy and timing
Previsualisation: Storyboards and Shot Lists
Script breakdown, shot lists, lined scripts, coverage and the fields of the course storyboard template (Week 3)Previsualisation is the Week 3 lecture topic and the bridge between a written story and a shoot. It means deciding, on paper, how every moment will be filmed: which shots, from where, for how long and with what sound.
- What previsualisation decides before the camera rolls
- Script breakdown, shot list, storyboard and schedule as one chain
- Coverage and the lined script
- The seven fields of the course storyboard template
- Numbering and timing set-ups in a shot list
- Feeding the team's weekly production schedule
Cast, Crew and Locations
Producer, director, cinematographer, sound recorder and production designer duties, releases, call sheets and the team policy (Week 4)Week 4 covers cast, crew and locations: the people and places a film depends on.
- The five roles on the course checklist and what each one delivers
- Sharing roles in a team of four or five
- Talent releases, location releases and special permits
- Call sheets and contingency plans for a student shoot
- The team assessment policy and percentage contribution
- Crew list and Team Evaluation Questionnaire deadlines
Cameras and Lighting on Set
Three-point lighting, white balance, shutter speed 1/50, aperture, ISO and focus checks (Week 5)Cameras and lighting are the Week 5 lecture topic, and the course hands the cinematographer a precise checklist: white balance, shutter speed 1/50, aperture, ISO and focus, plus a lighting plan, an equipment list, spare batteries and equipment tested before the shoot.
- The cinematographer's pre-take checklist
- Three-point lighting: key, fill and back light
- Hard and soft light, and mixed colour temperatures
- Aperture, depth of field and the f-stop series
- ISO, noise and keeping the shutter at 1/50
- Testing equipment and carrying spare batteries
Composing the Frame: Shot Types and Angles
Shot sizes, camera angles and movement, rule of thirds, symmetry, framing and the Photo Project shot list (Weeks 6 and 8)Composing the frame is the Week 6 lecture and the Week 8 tutorial, where the Photo Project, worth 10%, is made. Quiz 3, in the Week 9 tutorial, covers Weeks 6 to 8. The Photo Project gives this chapter its checklist.
- Shot sizes from extreme wide to extreme close-up
- Reading shot size from where the frame cuts the body
- High, low, eye-level and Dutch tilt angles
- Pan, tilt and tracking movement
- Rule of thirds, symmetry and frames within the frame
- Planning the Photo Project and reading its rubric bands
Mise-en-scène and Film Style
Setting, costume, lighting, staging and props, film style as a repeated pattern, and continuity on set (Week 8)Mise-en-scène and film style are the Week 8 lecture and the Week 9 tutorial. Mise-en-scène names everything arranged in front of the camera: setting, costume and make-up, lighting, staging and props.
- The five elements of mise-en-scène
- Film style as a deliberate, repeated pattern
- How the Video Project rubric judges film style
- Costume and setting choices that count as goofs
- The production designer's continuity photographs
- Colour palettes and costume choices that support the story
Editing, Continuity and the Final Cut
Continuity editing, the 180-degree rule, transitions, J and L cuts, goofs and cutting to the 4 to 5 minute limit (Week 9)Editing is the Week 9 lecture and the Week 10 tutorial.
- Continuity editing and the 180-degree rule
- Match on action, eyeline match and shot / reverse shot
- Cuts, dissolves, fades and jump cuts
- J-cuts and L-cuts in dialogue scenes
- Goofs, continuity errors and the final check
- Cutting to the 4 to 5 minute window
Sound Design and Location Recording
Diegetic and non-diegetic sound, dialogue, atmos, foley, wild lines and the audio criterion (Week 10)Sound design is the Week 10 lecture and the Week 11 tutorial, and the Video Project rubric gives a full criterion of five marks to the captured audio.
- Dialogue, atmosphere, effects and music as separate layers
- Diegetic and non-diegetic sound
- Foley and recorded sound effects
- The sound recorder's checklist on location
- Wild lines and one minute of atmosphere
- Planning sound across several locations
The course introduces the fundamental concepts and techniques of narrative style and structure across media production, and it puts hands-on skill first: by the end of Term 3 you will have planned, shot and edited a short film with a team. The weekly sequence moves from idea to finished film.
Weeks 1 and 2 ask what a story is and how a proposal works; Week 3 introduces previsualisation; Week 4 covers cast, crew and locations; Week 5 cameras and lighting; Week 6 composing the frame. After the Week 7 flexibility week, Weeks 8 to 10 cover mise-en-scène and film style, editing and sound design, and Week 12 is given to screenings. Assessment follows the same path.
Four short quizzes in tutorials make up 20%; the Story Proposal, written in class in Weeks 4 and 5, and the two-minute Pitch in Week 6 make up 15% each; the Week 8 Photo Project is 10%; and the Video Project is 40%, made of a group short film of 4 to 5 minutes (30%) and an individual in-class reflection (10%).
Every task has its own completion condition, and failing to complete all assessments as required results in an Unsatisfactory Fail. To pass you need an overall mark of at least 50%, an attempt at every assessment and a genuine attempt at each.
Attendance matters as well: the Moodle page expects diploma students to attend at least 80% of all classes, and students below 80% without special circumstances and evidence may fail the course. This guide follows the ten lecture topics in order, works each one into a planning document a crew could use, and flags where each topic is assessed.
Worked example · free
From story idea to a feasible logline
- +1Logline, one sentence: A delivery rider finds a lost dog on a late shift and must get it home before his next order cancels and costs him the job. That is 26 words, under the 30-word ceiling.
- +1Synopsis in three sentences: who he is and why the job matters, how the dog's tag leads to a locked apartment block, and why every minute lost puts the job at risk. The ending stays out.
- +1Feasibility count: two actors, one borrowed dog, a bicycle and three outdoor locations within walking distance; no permits beyond a talent release for each actor and the dog owner's consent.
- +1Visual style in one line: handheld following shots at night, lit by streetlights and the phone screen, so the deadline is always visible in frame.
Key terms
- Logline
- A one-sentence summary of a film idea, under 30 words in this course, that names the character, the problem and the stakes without revealing the ending.
- Synopsis
- A two or three sentence description of a film idea that widens the logline with character and complication.
- Story outline
- A scene-by-scene account of the whole film in three acts, written in the present tense.
- Three-act structure
- The division of a story into setup, confrontation and resolution, each ended by a decisive event.
- Previsualisation
- Planning how each moment will be filmed before shooting, through shot lists, storyboards and schedules.
- Storyboard
- A sequence of drawn frames showing framing, camera angle, movement, timing and sound for each planned shot.
- Shot list
- A numbered list of every camera set-up in a scene, with shot type, angle, movement and length.
- Mise-en-scène
- Everything arranged in front of the camera: setting, costume, lighting, staging and props.
- Dutch tilt
- A camera angle with the horizon deliberately sloped, used to suggest unease or imbalance.
- Atmos
- The background sound of a location, recorded on set so the editor can lay it under every cut.
- Continuity error
- A mismatch between shots of the same moment, such as a prop or costume that changes between cuts.
DPHU1006 FAQ
How is Screen Production 1 at UNSW College assessed?
Five weighted tasks: four in-class quizzes worth 20% in total, the Story Proposal and the Pitch at 15% each, a group Photo Project at 10% and the Video Project at 40%, which combines a 30% group short film with a 10% individual reflection. A 0% hurdle requires every task to be completed.
What do the quizzes cover and how long do they take?
Each quiz has 10 multiple-choice questions and a 10-minute limit, sat in your own tutorial without notes or devices. Quiz 1 covers Weeks 1 and 2, Quiz 2 Weeks 3 to 5, Quiz 3 Weeks 6 to 8 and Quiz 4 Weeks 9 to 11.
What goes into the story proposal?
A logline, a synopsis and a story outline for an original 4 to 5 minute film that a team of four or five students could make. You write the first two parts in 40 minutes in Week 4 and the outline in 2 hours in Week 5.
How long is the pitch and what slides can I use?
The pitch runs for two minutes in the Week 6 tutorial, with 2 to 4 slides uploaded beforehand. Images must be hand-drawn or photographs, screengrabs from other films may show tone and style, and AI-generated images are rejected.
Which shot types must the photo project include?
At least one wide shot, medium shot, close-up, extreme wide shot or extreme close-up, low-angle shot, high-angle shot and Dutch tilt, plus examples of the rule of thirds, symmetry, a doorway shot or creative framing, and shallow depth of field.
What are the passing rules and attendance requirements?
You must reach 50% overall, attempt every assessment and make a genuine attempt at each, or the result is an Unsatisfactory Fail. Separately, students are expected to attend at least 80% of classes, and attendance below 80% without evidence of special circumstances may mean you fail the course.
Can I use AI tools in the video project?
For the group short film and poster, yes, in an assistive role, provided the sources, platforms and tools are credited at the end of the film. The quizzes, proposal, pitch, photographs and the individual reflection do not allow AI tools.
Questions students ask in each DPHU1006 chapter
- What is the difference between a plot and a story outline?
- The plot is the chain of events itself; the outline is the written document that sets that chain out scene by scene in three acts, in the present tense, so a reader can picture the finished film. Chapter 01 · What Makes a Story: Structure, Cause and Character
- How long should a logline be?
- Under 30 words and a single sentence. The top rubric bands describe a clear, concise summary that distils the most important elements of the idea and makes it sound unique and compelling. Chapter 02 · Logline, Synopsis and Story Outline
- How long should my pitch be?
- Close to two minutes. The presentation-skills criterion names a pitch significantly shorter or longer than two minutes in its lower bands, so rehearse with a timer. Chapter 03 · The Two-Minute Pitch and Feasibility
- What fields does the course storyboard template use?
- Each of the six panels on a page has a frame plus fields for time, music, sound effects, a description, shot type, camera angle and camera movement, under a header with your tutorial time, name, student number and page number. Chapter 04 · Previsualisation: Storyboards and Shot Lists
- What does a producer do on a student film?
- On the course checklist the producer coordinates the team and its paperwork: meetings, risk assessment, call sheet, budget and receipts, the production schedule, releases for actors and locations, equipment bookings and contingency plans. Chapter 05 · Cast, Crew and Locations
- Why does the course specify a shutter speed of 1/50?
- It appears on the cinematographer's checklist. At 25 frames per second, a common rule of thumb sets the shutter to double the frame rate, 1/50, which gives natural-looking motion blur. Chapter 06 · Cameras and Lighting on Set
- How is the Photo Project marked?
- Out of 10, on two criteria worth five marks each: creative interpretation and story clarity, and the demonstration of shot types. The second criterion falls by band as more required types are missing. Chapter 07 · Composing the Frame: Shot Types and Angles
- What are the elements of mise-en-scène?
- Setting, costume and make-up, lighting, staging, meaning the placement and performance of actors, and props. Together they cover everything placed in front of the camera. Chapter 08 · Mise-en-scène and Film Style
- How long must the short film be?
- Between four and five minutes. A film significantly under four minutes or over five minutes is named in the lower bands of the attention-to-detail and technical problem-solving criterion of the Video Project rubric. Chapter 09 · Editing, Continuity and the Final Cut
- How is sound marked in the video project?
- One five-mark criterion judges the captured audio: whether it is clearly audible throughout, whether it lines up with the visuals and how creatively the sound design helps communicate the story. Chapter 10 · Sound Design and Location Recording
How to prepare for the assessments
Treat every week as preparation for a document your team will need. After the Week 1 and 2 lectures, write three loglines for different ideas and count their words. Before Week 4, rehearse your chosen logline and synopsis aloud until you can write them from memory, because the task runs in a lockdown browser without notes.
From Week 3, draw a six-panel storyboard each week for a scene from a film shown in class, filling in shot type, angle, movement and time for every frame. Before the Week 8 Photo Project, agree an eight-frame plan that covers all eleven listed shot types and techniques. From Week 9, keep a log of your own role and decisions: it becomes the evidence for your Week 12 reflection.
